Blackdown Tablelands + Canarvon National Park
The day after our visit to Great Keppel Island we went from Rockhampton along the Capricorn Highway to The Blackdown Tablelands National Park (180 km west of Rockhampton).
This is an amazing sandstone plateau that rises out of the flat plains to a height of 600m. It features stunning panoramas, great bushwalks to waterfalls and lookouts. Because of the height the temperature was a bit lower up there which has impact on the type of flora. We experienced the bush there a bit more European, which made it a special experience in itself. A short walk brought us to the Horseshoe lookout and a longer trail to the Two Mile Falls with a beautiful view.
We also enjoyed a 4WD track (16km) showing other parts of the Park with other beautiful views. The road was easy going until the last part. This National Park was certainly worth a visit. It is beautiful. Finally we left the National Park and continued our trip to Emerald (261 km west of Rockhampton)to spend the night in the Emerald Meteor Motel.
The following day we left early to Canarvon National Park passing Mt Zamia and Virgin Rock (The Virgin Rock was named after the feature which resembles a statue of the virgin Mary and Child).
We drove into the Canarvon Park to Takarakka Bush Resort at the beginning of the Canarvon Gorge. Here we would experience our first nights of camping in Australia.
Lonely Planet describes Canarvon Gorge as simply stunning. Massive, crumbling, yellow-white sandstone cliffs, up to 200m high, conceal a “lost world” of giant cycads, cool moss gardens, king ferns and rare palms. Over millions of years Canarvon Creek and its tributaries have carved 30km of twisting gorges and waterfalls through the soft sedimentary rock. 21km of walking trails bring you to majestic scenery, rare plants, wildlife and poignant Aboriginal art.
Ater setting up our tent (Coleman Chalet 9CV), and greeting the Kangaroos that were looking around, we walked the Mickey Creek Gorge track. It was a very beautiful track walking along exotic palms, very big and high rainforest trees. At the end we (carefully) walked a bit into a cool cave with beautiful flora. There we saw many well growing palms that are doing less in our (much dryer) garden.
There are many species of Kangaroos and Wallabies in Australia. When we left the track a Whiptail Wallaby (one of the species we had never seen before) was saying hi.
At dawn we went to a Platypus Creek where sometimes Platypuses show up, but unfortunately we didn’t see any. At the camp site we had a barbeque and in the evening we visited an presentation from EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) with a slide presentation about the history and beautiful features of the Canarvon Gorge. That was a good introduction to the next day experience.
(to be continued)
Cheers.